Afghanistan takes great pride in the fact that no outside forces have even been successful in controlling their country. Yet, at the same time, when they are not chasing out Britain, Russia, and NATO forces (including United States) their past is scarred with civil war and racist persecution. The people of Afghanistan largely accept that religion should shape government, but since many interpret the Koran and Shari'a Law differently, conflict continues.
1747: Afghanistan is created by Ahmad Shah Durrani by unifying the Pashtun tribes. Pashtuns are Muslims.
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1800s: Britain and Russia compete for the control of Afghanistan. Britain wins.
1838-1842: Britain launches the first Anglo-Afghan War to place Shuja Shah on the throne in Kabul. The British stay until 1842 before withdrawing through the Khyber Pass. In the final year of the war a combined British and Raj force of 4,500 troops and more than 12,000 camp follwers in massacred after leaving Kabul in route for Jalalabad.
1878: Second Anglo-Afghan war breaks out after Afghanistan's ruler, Dost Mohammad's son Sher Ali, refuses to accept a British delegation at his court. Lasts until 1880 when the British withdraw having secured most of of their objectives.
1919: A month long war, the Third Anglo-African War, takes place around the boarder of Afghanistan. Afghanistan wins independence from Britain's control over Afghanistan's foreign affairs.
1919-1929: King Amanullah, a Pashtun, takes the throne and worked to end Afghanistan's isolation. People did not want change and the king is overthrown by Pashtun and Tajik tribes.
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1933: Mohammad Zahir Shah becomes the king of Afghanistan.
King Zahir Shah was a Pashtun who did not discriminate against ethnic groups; his ultimate goal was to unite Afghanistan. He died in July of 2007 at the age of 92.
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1964: King Zahir Shah starts experimenting with democracy and the legislature is partly elected. At the same time, the communist People Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) emerges; this group has close ties to the Soviet Union.
By 1965, the PDPA split into two factions. One faction was the Khalq faction which was led by Nur Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. Khalqs were Pashto-speaking, lived outside of Kabul, and had strong military ties. The other faction was the Parcham faction, lead by Babrak Karmal. Parchams were Persian-speaking and lived in Kabul. While the to factions had many differences, both groups were Pashtuns.
1973: Zahir Shah is overthrown by his cousin Sardar Mohammad Daoud, a Pashtun. Daoud abolishes the monarchy and proclaims Afghanistan as a republic with himself as president. His efforts to bring about social and economic reforms were unsuccessful.
1978: The communist coup, a.k.a. the April Revolution, takes place. The coup takes place because Daoud wanted to reduce Soviet influence. As a result, the PDPA murdered Daoud and his family. Taraki, a PDPA leader, takes power and employs a Marxist government.
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October 1979: Taraki is exectued and Amin, Afghanistan's prime minister and the other Khalq faction leader, becomes the new president. Amin had independent and nationalist tendencies.
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December 1979: The Soviets see Amin's tendencies as a threat and therefore kill Amin. The Soviets invade Afghanistan and Karmal, leader of the Parcham faction of the PDPA and an easily influenced man, becomes Afghanistan's new leader.
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1980: Anti-regime resistance intensifies with various Mujahideen groups fighting Soviet forces. The United States, Pakistan, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia supply these groups with money and arms.
Mujahideens were originally formed to fight the Soviet government. They have strong Islamic beliefs.
1982: Millions of Afghans flee from the war to Pakistan and Iran.
1985: Resistance: Islamic fighters known as Mujahedeen intesify their resistance to the government and Soviet occupation. The U.S. provides financial backing to their cause in 1986 supplies them with Stinger missiles, enabling Mujahedeen to shoot down Soviet helicopters.
1986: Dr. Mohammad Najibullah replaces Karmal as leader.
Najibullah was a member of the PDPA's Parcham faction. In 1980, he as appointed the head of the KHAD, the secret police.
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1988: Osama bin Laden and 15 Islamists form al-Qaida ("the base") to continue their holy war against the Soviets. They also begin to shift their focus to the United States, their main obstacle to the establishment of a state based on Islam.
1989: The United States, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva, which guarantees Afghan independence and the withdrawal of the Soviet troops. The Mujahadeen continue their resistance against communist president, Najibullah.
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1992: The Mujahadeen and other rebel groups storm Kabul and remove Najibullah from power.
1995: The Taliban promises peace to the Afghans and rises to power. They enforce many rules upon the Afghani people. The Taliban formed because they did not like the doings of the Mujahadeens. Although the Taliban do not like the Mujahadeens, the Taliban are Muslims too.
The Taliban outlawed the cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, cracked down on crime, and curtailed the education and employment of women. Women were required to be fully veiled and were not allowed to be outside by themselves.
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1995-1999: More than a million Afghans flee to Pakistan.
1996: The Taliban seize control and introduce extreme Islmaic law, banning women from work and using brutal punishments like stoning to death and amputations.
September 2001: Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban execute their plan of terrorist attacks on the U.S. The U.S. and its allies begin attack on Afghanistan. Soon after, the Taliban are taken out of power.
October-December 2001: The US and Britain launch air strikes in Afghanistan after the Taliban refuse to hand over bin Laden. Opposition forces seize most major cities including Kabul and the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
2002: A Grand Council made of tribal leaders select Pashtun tribal leader Hamid Karzai to be the acting president of Afghanistan.
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2004: A new consitution is implemented in Afghanistan. Karzai becomes Afghanistan's first democratically elected president.
2005: 64 suicide attacks, killing 181 people
2006: NATO takes over military operations in Afghanistan to try gain government control over the Taliban's teritories.
2007: Mullah Dadullah, a Talibani military leader is killed while fighting U.S. and Afghan soldiers.
NATO and Afghan troops launch Operation Achilles, their largest offensive against the Tailban in the country's south.
A bomber targets a parliamentary delgation in Baghlan. More than 40 people die in the country's worst suicide attack so far.
2008-2010: Allies send more soldiers to Afghanistan.
2011-Confusing status today because while Obama has promised a July withdrawal of all troops, leaders have stated that Taliban is stronger than ever. 14,000 troops just sent to Afghanistan.
Timeline of Instability
Afghanistan takes great pride in the fact that no outside forces have even been successful in controlling their country. Yet, at the same time, when they are not chasing out Britain, Russia, and NATO forces (including United States) their past is scarred with civil war and racist persecution. The people of Afghanistan largely accept that religion should shape government, but since many interpret the Koran and Shari'a Law differently, conflict continues.